Bunch o' short fics
by IHateCheddar
Summary: I was in a writing competition this year and these are some of the resulting drabbles/short stories. Each of these could stand alone as their own but they all have the same characters so I've compiled them to be in order. The competition labeled some as drabbles and some as standards, so it doesn't matter if it's the correct term for any of these- I'm not the one who labeled them
1. How I met Her

There was something odd about the young girl who lived in the last house on the street. That, Ellen was more than sure of.

It wasn't a normal sort of odd, either. It wasn't like she was just into some obscure rock-band or had a strange fascination with buttons. It wasn't even something foul, like collecting scabs or used gum. Ellen hardly would have cared if that were the case.

No, Janice Fletz was strange for another reason altogether.

To start things off, Janice was absolutely clueless in the strangest of ways. The girl didn't understand common slang words like yeet or even who Pepe was. She didn't understand any references, either. When Ellen asked if she had even owned a telly, she had the nerve to ask what it was! Ellen soon realized that Janice didn't understand electricity, or even household appliances better than the average Amish person.

But that wasn't even the half of it. The really odd thing about Janice Fletz was the things that happened around her.

Ellen had first noticed it on their first day of primary school, the day she met the thorn in her side. Janice had been new in town, having moved all the way from Scotland to be closer to her gran.

The first thing Janice had done when she was introduced to her class by their teacher, was to be bold enough to challenge the entirety of the class to a free-for-all game of freeze tag, boasting that she was a champion of the game and, 'Wanted to see what Oxford was made of'. As you can imagine, this impressed Ellen enough to want to wipe that stupid grin off Janice's freckled face.

It was near the end of recess when Janice had tripped and fallen -- yet the ground bounced! Like she had taken a dive on a fluffy bed instead of hard concrete.

No one else seemed to have noticed, and Janice pretended not to know what Ellen was talking about when she asked about it. Had she imagined it? Ellen wasn't sure, but she certainly didn't want people thinking she was crazy, and thus tried to put it from her mind. Tried, being the operative word.

As the years went on, more and more abnormalities seemed to center around Janice. Little things usually, things other people would hardly have thought twice about had they not seen what Ellen had seen. The most typical being the redhead's uncanny ability in finding four leaf clovers, or the fact the dodge-balls in P.E. seemingly never hit her, as if they were vanishing into thin air.

But sometimes it was blatant enough that even other people would take notice, like when Mike Ratte had started pulling on Janice's curls during class, only for his entire hand to erupt in terrible warts! No one had been able to make heads or tails of it, but none of the boys had dared to pull her hair after that.

Then there were the times even Ellen couldn't make sense of it, where there was no logical explanation to be had. Like the time some older girls from the local secondary school rode past on their bikes and sprayed their whole class with water guns -- yet Ellen and Janice had been left perfectly dry, despite the fact that Ellen knew they had been properly doused.

So yes, Janice Fletz was very odd. But looking at her Hogwarts letter, across from her mother who was having a very colorful argument with the elderly woman who ran the school she'd just been invited to attend, a school for young wizards and witches, McGonagall had said, Ellen felt she might just be a bit odd, too.

**A/N****House: Ravenclaw****Class: Care for Magical Creatures****Category: Drabble****Prompt: First line, "There was something odd about the young girl who lived in the last house on the street."****Word count: **


	2. Roaches

Gently tapping her knapsack, Ellen chewed on her lip. Everything was in place; Janice would be here soon, and (more importantly in Ellen's mind) so would the roaches.

She was never going to live this down.

Sooner than Ellen would have liked, a redheaded girl skipped down the hallways with the other Hufflepuff's in her year. Janice Fletz's dull brown eyes locked onto Ellen's.

"Ellie!" she called, smiling. The name was like an awful grating sound on Ellen's ears. The way that girl always butchered her name made her contemplate murder sometimes.

Janice ran and crashed into Ellen, sending the contents of her bag everywhere.

Scowling, Ellen discreetly shoved a container into her bag. Now that they were all here, it was time.

Gripping the ladder that lead to her classroom, Ellen began her climb, her hands starting to shake in anticipation.

Walking into the candle scented classroom, the Slytherin girl nearly tripped over her own two feet upon seeing the red headed man talking to her professor in a hushed whisper.

"Yes well I need it by tonight, see it's rather--"

Upon noticing them, the stocky man broke out into a wide grin, "So these are the rookies, eh? How many of them are taking Care for Magical Creatures this year?"

"Only Miss Addison," Trelawney, the old cow, said dreamily, "Come here dear, you simply must meet Mr. Weasley."

"Charlie Weasley," Ellen's new professor said jovially, extending his hand to her.

Accepting the extended hand, Ellen felt her cheeks redden as she murmured, "Ellen Addison, pleased to make your acquaintance, sir.'

Laughing, Charlie ran a hand through his shaggy red hair, "Well Miss Addison, I look forward to this Thursday's class."

Making his way to the door, Charlie listened in as Trelawney started her class, suggesting that Ellen could start off their predictions since she had already been called up.

Now, being the brother of Fred and George Weasley, Charlie recognized the looks that traveled around the classroom between the Slytherins and a few Hufflepuffs. His brothers had practically invented that look.

Leaning back against the wall Charlie smirked to himself. Let's see what these rookies are capable of.

Meeting her idiotic professor's eyes, Ellen dramatically announced, "I predict you will find yourself in a sea of filthy roaches, the brains of those who you've deceived will melt, and the blood will be on your hands."

Trelawney's normally dreamy gaze focused and her jaw set. "Miss Addison, I'm afraid that's improbable, I would have seen something like--"

Trelawny was promptly cut off as a big, fat roach flew and landed on her face. Another landed on her arm, then her shoulder. More and more followed until she was being swarmed by the insects.

Ellen, taking full advantage of the distraction, took out a Skiving Snackbox and faked a fainting spell as the blood erupted from her nostrils, splattering over half of her classmates.

Poor Charlie Weasley apparently busted a spleen from laughing so hard and had to be taken to the infirmary. Thankfully, he was alright to teach his first class on Thursday.

Ellen, much to her satisfaction, only had to serve two weeks of detentions alongside her partner in crime.

Suffice to say, she hoped no one forgot about this day.

**A/N Team: Ravenclaw, Class: Care for Magical Creatures, Category: Drabble, Prompts: Charlie Weasley, Skiving Snackbox, and Roaches on skin, Word count: 566**


	3. Ellen Hates Potions

Ellen Addison was an excellent example of a victim of circumstance.

Why, you might ask? Ask Janice Fletz, the stupidest girl she had ever met.

"Try out for quidditch," she said, "It'll be fun!" she had said.

Well now months later Ellen was stuck in the infirmary with a broken wrist, a fractured leg, and a concussion. To make matters worse they didn't even win the bloody game to make it worth her troubles.

Currently, Janice was trying to appeal to the Slytherin girl's mercy. Offering to hold her books for her, walk her to her common room, and all the horrendously nice things that made her so undeniably Hufflepuff

The girl was hardly done, however. Wiping the tears from her eyes Janice informed miserably, "You don't need to worry about taking notes, you can copy mine.. And--"

"ALRIGHT!" Ellen exclaimed, waving her injured wrist to get her to stop, "I get, I get it! You'll be my servant until my bones mend and then some."

Grumbling under breath Ellen brushed her blond hair out of her face, "It'd almost be better if you weren't sorry at all.."

Looking back at her splotchy faced friend, Ellen sighed, "Did they bother to owl my mum yet?"

Janice nodded, and sniffled, "She.. She hasn't responded yet, I'm sorry."

Setting her jaw, the young Slytherin nodded. It's what she had expected.

Calming down somewhat, Janice sat back in the visiting chair and scooted it forwards as she said, "You know, if you don't have any plans this Christmas.."

Locking eyes with the shorter girl, Ellen's face heated up, "What? Want me to stay with you?"

"Well yeah," Janice twisted some of her violently red hair around her fingers, "Only if you want to! I.. I don't want to pressure you or anything--"

"I wasn't saying no," Ellen stated, looking down at her lap as she muttered, "It's not like I have any other place to go.."

Looking at her friend Janice smiled, looking around as she pulled something out of her bag, "Don't tell Pomfrey I gave you this, but here."

Taking the Cockroach clusters, Ellen couldn't help but laugh, "We should save some of them and stick them in Trelawny's teacups."

Janice mock gasped, "Ellie! Shame on you, why-- it's not as though she'd somehow know they were fake!"

Cackling, Ellen fell back on her pillow, even the reappearance of the overbearing school nurse didn't dampen her spirits.

Waving her wand around her patient, Pomfrey tutted, "You need to keep your wrist still dear-- the skele-gro won't take if you keep shifting the bones while they solidify."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Giving the blonde girl a significant look Pomfrey turned towards Janice, "I take it I can trust you to make sure Miss Addison behaves?"

"Yes ma'am!" Came the immediate reply. Ellen glared at the traitorous ginger who dared to smile at her after her cruel betrayal.

Rolling her eyes at the two students, Pompfry turned and took out two more potions, setting them on the tray byEllen's bedside table.

"You need to take one of these now, and one in the morning when you wake up."

Wrinkling her nose Ellen scooted away from the foul smelling concoctions, "Why?"

"It's for your head injury," Pompfry explained, "It's safe to sleep so long as it's in your system, and will help heal you throughout the day tomorrow."

"I'd rather not, I can smell it from here."

"I'll make sure she takes it," Janice grinned, ignoring the horrified look Ellen was giving her.

Smiling Pomfrey ruffled Janice's curls, before turning back to her troublesome patient, "I'll be back in an hour, if that potion's not gone I will force it down your gullet."

Keeping her expression even Ellen swiftly replied, "We'll see," before leaning back on her bed. She ignored the healer as the woman continued to run a few more tests on her.

Janice smiled sweetly at the old woman as she bade them farewell. Once she was out of sight Janice turned fiercely towards her bedridden friend, "You are taking that potion."

"Like hell I will."

"I'll annoy you until you do!"

Scoffing, Ellen rolled her eyes, "Like you could manage to be more annoying."

"You have to Ellie! You won't get better if you don't."

"No, I just can't sleep, and I'll be fine staying awake," Ellen explained matter of factly. "My head will heal alright without it."

"That's not how they work-- Pomfrey didn't say--"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not taking those putrid things, simple as that."

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Janice grumbled, "How can someone as intelligent as you be so unfathomably dense?"

Sputtering, Ellen stared gobsmacked at who she had believed to be her friend.

"You know.. I don't know why I bother sometimes," Janice sighed, "You don't care what happens to you, and you certainly don't care that I do."

Chewing her lip, Ellen mumbled quietly under her breath.

"Huh?"

"I said I'll take it.."

Blinking back her shock, Janice grinned crookedly, "Seriously?"

Scowling, Ellen turned up her nose , "If it'll make you stop crying.. Honestly! It's not even worth the argument."

Smiling Janice grabbed the potion, before leaning on the side of her friend's bed, "Pinch your nose closed and tilt your head back, it'll help you get it down quicker."

Ellen looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding and doing as instructed. The potion didn't taste nearly as bad as it had smelled (thank Merlin) and thus Ellen didn't have to fight back the urge to vomit for too long after she'd gotten it down.

Janice read the back of the potion under her breath, before looking back at her friend to inform her that, "You can't eat anything for an hour, unless you want to throw up."

Grimacing, Ellen shook her head, "Fast with me?"

Janice grinned and settled her hands in her lap, "Always."

The next day saw the Hufflepuff girl taking diligent notes in her History of Magic classroom, two muggle energy drinks sitting next to her.

She had promised Ellie, after all.

**A/N:****Team: Ravenclaw,****Class: Care for Magical Creatures****Category: Standard****Prompt: Speech "How can someone as intelligent as you be so unfathomably dense?"**

Word Count: 1,044


	4. Bertie Botts

Ellen held no love for rules, whether because of her mother or just because it was in her nature, Janice didn't know. What she did know was that her ambitious friend had just gotten through explaining the next way she wanted to test old McGonagall's resilient heart. It was mad.

"You want me to what?"

Ellen grinned wickedly, a mad gleam in her eyes, "Help me look through dozens of packets of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Bean and get all the Cod Liver Oil ones together."

"Ellie are you really sure this is a good idea?" Janice asked with a bit of uncertainty, "I mean you're talking about the whole school here--"

"Which have been on my arse ever since Slytherin beat Gryffindor last Quidditch game," Ellen grumbled, "And I told you not to call me that!"

"I'm not saying they don't deserve it," Janice replied coolly, "But we've never done anything this big before, I don't want you to get into trouble."

"No one can prove anything, and it's not like they'd expel me for it anyway."

"You're sure about that?" Janice asked, nibbling on her lip some. "There isn't exactly a line drawn out on that sort of thing.."

"Oh cry me a river!" Ellen sneered, "You're just worried I'll drag you down with me, aren't you?"

Eyes narrowed, Janice shoved her finger in Ellen's chest, angrily exclaiming, "Hardly! You know I'd ride into hell for a friend."

Ellen's face flickered with surprise for a second when the word "friend" left Janice's lips, before grinning widely at the taller girl, "Then you're in?"

Puffing her cheeks out, Janice nodded, "Like I said, you're my friend."

That word again, what was it about it that made Ellen feel so weird? Shaking off her unease, Ellen rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well thanks I guess."

Ellen waited with some trepidation as Janice worked her magic, pouring the liquidized Bertie Botts Cod Liver Oil Flavoured Beans into the big vat of Pumpkin juice.

"You're sure the House Elves won't wake up?" She whispered, tucking some of her buttery-blonde hair behind her ear.

Rolling her eyes Janice gave her wand a wave, shrinking the now empty bucket with a flourish. "The Sleeping curse won't wear off for another ten minutes at least, do you have so little faith in me?"

Smiling despite herself, Ellen quipped, "I know you too well."

Huffing the red-headed girl hopped off the chair carelessly, following Ellen out as she said, "I might just slip you a bean for that."

Face scrunching up in disgust, Ellen glared, "Do it and I will kill you."

Janice didn't even bother to pretend to be scared as she started to laugh, skipping out into the hall outside the kitchen as she dodged and darted over Ellen's attempts to trip her. The Slytherin claiming she found Janice's reaction to be, "Annoying and a clear show of your lack of sense!" as she tried to make her fall.

People tried to claim Ellen could be mean, most felt she was mean, but they just didn't understand her sense of humor. Janice knew there was nothing to fear, not really. Even if looking into Ellen's eyes was like looking into the dark fires of the void at times, dangerous and beautiful all at once, the redheaded girl could trust it wasn't her destruction Ellen was contemplating.

Running down the halls, Janice called over her shoulder, "Catch me if you can!" Ellen chased after her, hot on the heels of the whooping girl.

Laughing Janice rounded a corner and barrelled right into another person, judging by the yelp of surprise.. Sitting up with a groan, Janice felt her face heat up as she scrambled backwards. Dark blue eyes met hers-- Euphemia Grant was asking if she was okay, but Janice barely register it beyond the buzzing in her ears.

Ellen caught up with them, and seeing the situation, her eyes narrowed dangerously as she sauntered over.

"What happened?"

Rubbing her forehead, Euphemia giggled awkwardly as she stood up, "I wasn't watching where I was going, I hope I didn't hurt you Janie."

Blinking dazedly Janice shook her head, "I'm fine Effie, I don't think either of us were watching out frankly."

"But your knees scraped!" Euphemia exclaimed, paling slightly, "Maybe I should walk you to the infirmary, it's my fault really"

Ellen's jaw set, "I am perfectly capable of walking my own friend to the infirmary, Euphemia."

Looking taken aback, Euphemia smiled awkwardly, "I'd like to make sure she's okay, and I'd really prefer it if you didn't call me that."

Eyes darkening Ellen sneered, "Well Euphemia, I think she'll manage without you there to trip her up again," grabbing Janice by the arm Ellen turned her head up haughtily, "We'll be seeing you."

Looking back as Ellen marched her along, Janice raised her eyebrows, yanking her arm back as they turned the corner, "What's with you?"

Trying to seem unbothered, Ellen crossed her arms, "I don't know what you mean.."

"Yes, you do." Matching her stance, Janice frowned, "You were being really rude just then, calling Effie by her real name. Why did you act like that?"

"That's how I always treat people, you just don't notice because you're so stupid."

"No, it isn't." Poking Ellen in the chest Janice continued, "You don't call people things they don't want to be called, and you don't get pissy when they just want to help."

"Well I don't like Effie," Ellen snapped, "She's worse than you, with her stupid blue eyes-- and her obnoxious accent!"

"I have the same accent!" Janice exclaimed, "We're both from Scotland."

"Well maybe you would rather be her friend then." Ellen snapped, "You have much more in common with her anyways, you're both Scottish, both Hufflepuffs, both beautiful."

Ellen trailed off, face becoming incomprehensibly red for some reason.

"That's twice now," Janice realized, "That you've called me your friend in the last five minutes and.. Oh.. Ellie are you jealous?"

"Jealous?!" Ellen shrieked indignantly, "Of Effie Grant? Of course not, I get far better marks than Effie Grant. It took her an entire week to learn the Lumos spell back in first year, not it to mention what she did to her potion last week! What reason could I possibly have to envy her for?"

Grinning stupidly Janice shook her head, "Oh Ellie."

Suddenly, Janice wrapped her arms around Ellen's neck, catching the girl off-guard and, almost sending them both to the floor, "You'll always be my best friend, Effie Grant can't change that."

Biting her lip, Ellen buried her face in the mane of red that had taken over her field of vision, "You'll annoy me forever, huh?"

"Always."

Dinner was practically torture, waiting through the announcements, knowing what was in everyone's drinks.

Janice wanted to sneak a glance at her partner in crime, but past experiences had taught them that this tended to tip the professors off as to who the culprits might be. So she just fussed with her hair as one does when waiting for their whole school to potentially vomit en masse.

Once McGonagall was done talking, Janice brought the goblet full of Ellen's putrid concoctions to her lips and made damn sure none went any further than that. She pretended to drink before following that performance with gagging. Quickly shoving some meat down her throat to "Elevate the taste" as she would later say when she was inevitably questioned.

Several other Hufflepuffs, who were most certainly not acting, soon repeated Janice's actions in that particular order, along with every other house in the Great Hall.

People eventually figured out it was the Pumpkin Juice that was spiked, and thus some stragglers had been left behind. Janice still considered this a win, but Ellen felt they needed to hit all their bases.

That's how Janice got suckered into helping Ellen charm "The Survivors" inkwells to eat their quills whenever they dipped them in. Was this evil? Most definitely. Was Ellen mad? Probably

But, Janice thought, I might be just a little mad myself. As she helped Ellen work out the kinks in the charm work, she does this willingly after all.

**A/N****House: Ravenclaw****Class: Care for Magical Creatures****Category: Standard****Prompt: Bertie Botts Cod Liver Oil Flavoured Beans****Word count: 1,365**


	5. Pumkin Patch

Ellen Addison walked down the halls of Hogwarts, arguing with the Hufflepuff girl who insisted on being her friend as they made their way to Charms. Their current discussion was spawned from how Ellen had put a subtilissima charm on Professor Binns, causing everything appear above his head with the added bonus of being far more explicit (and therefore amusing).

They hadn't been caught, but Janice Fletz, a redheaded Scottish girl who also happened to be the bane of Ellen's existence, was convinced it was a little much. Poor Professor Binns had turned bright pink and sunk right through the floor when he realized!

"I'm just saying, you could stand to be nicer."

Ellen scoffed, "I'm plenty nice!"

Janice rolled her eyes before a grin slid across her face. Suddenly she jumped into Ellen's path, leaning forwards as she exclaimed, "Help me with the dance then!"

Ellen blinked, "Dance?"

"The one Effie Grant is throwing," Janice elaborated, ignoring the look that settled onto her Ellen's face when she heard Effie's name. "Down in the Pumpkin Patch. Some of the older kids were bummed they were gonna miss Yule next year and we all thought it would be a fun going away party for them."

Crossing her arms, Ellen shook her head, "I usually wouldn't even want to go to an event like that, why would I willingly help plan it?"

Janice noticeably deflated. "Not even for me?"

"Especially not for you."

Janice puffed out her cheeks, pouting as she said, "You're so mean, Ellie!"

"No I'm not!" Ellen shot back, side stepping Janice as she called over her shoulder, "And stop calling me that!" before continuing down the hall. They had a class to attend, after all.

After Charms, Ellen was about to walk to lunch when she noticed Janice talking to Effie.

Probably about that dumb party, Ellen thought bitterly. Why does Janice have to be interested in such idiotic things?

Sauntering up to them, Ellen fixed Effie with a bored look as she wrapped an arm around Janice. "Party plans going alright?"

Effie forced a smile, "Hey Ellen, do you want to help?"

"I wish I could, but I don't want to."

"Ellie is just being a killjoy," Janice waved off, "She doesn't even want to come."

Brow crinkling, Effie said, "Oh," though she didn't sound very sad about hearing that at all.

Narrowing her eyes, Ellen said, "Oh no, I'll be there. I just have no interest in freezing my arse off in the Pumpkin Patch a few hours before everyone else."

"Well Janie and I have to get going then," Effie said. "Jarl and Mike are probably already waiting down in the patch for us with some of the seventh years."

"Oh, right!" Slipping out of Ellen's grasp, Janice turned to her friend with a smile, "Nick me something, would you? Only time we have to do this is during break."

"Oh.. Uh yeah.. Sure..." Watching Effie link arms with Janice, Ellen didn't really feel much like eating anymore.

**A/N****House/Team: Ravenclaw****Class Subject: Care for Magical Creatures****Story Category: Drabble****Prompt: [Speech] "Hey [Name, do you want to help?" / "I wish I could, but I don't want to."****Word Count: 503**


	6. Ellen's first Halloween

Ellen's brows forwarded as she looked outside the window, what the hell were they doing?

It was true, her idiotic friend and the cow she insisted on hanging out with were sitting out on the lawn, huge pumpkins set out before them.

It wasn't a completely foreign idea to her, she'd seen the neighborhood kids setting out their Jack o' lanterns during this time of year.

Not that her mother had ever let her partake in it. Oh no, Mrs. Addison would never let her daughter celebrate Satan's Birthday. What would the neighbors think?

Pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail, Ellen made her way down to the grounds, keeping her face blank as she passed some other students.

When Janice Fletz, the most annoying girl Ellen had ever met, locked hazel eyes with her dark brown ones, a wide (if a little crooked) grin cut across her face and she bounded over-- nearly knocking the both of them to the ground as she pulled the shorter girl into a hug.

"I was worried you'd stay inside all day!" Janice exclaimed as she pulled away, tucking some of her curly red hair behind her ear. "I didn't see you at breakfast."

"I got another letter from my mother last night," Ellen revealed, which earned an irritatingly sympathetic look from the Scottish girl. Oh if there was anything Ellen loathed..

"Well if you don't have anything else planned, Effie and I we're going to carve some Jack o' lanterns to string up around the castle!" Janice nodded over to the other blonde girl, who Ellen gave a polite nod to. Okay, perhaps there was something she hated more than sympathy.

"Of course, we'll copy the three designs over on the other pumpkins with this spell I found..." Janice said. "It'd be too much work to do them all by hand."

"Like a prank?" Ellen asked, turning back to look up at the taller girl.

Laughing, Janice shook her head, eyes alight with mirth. "No, silly! Just for fun! People might actually appreciate it, you know?"

"No, I don't," Ellen sighed. "I just don't see the point..."

Janice's smile faded. "Oh, right.. You've never celebrated Halloween, did you?"

Suddenly, the sadness in her eyes was replaced by determination, and Janice grabbed Ellen's hand. She led them over towards her work station.

"What are you--?"

"We're fixing it!" Janice replied, flopping down besides Effie. "If this is going to be your first proper Halloween, we'll have to make it perfect. First, you have to pick your pumpkin."

Ellen blinked, staring at the dozens of orange vegetables that her friend had dragged over here from the Pumpkin patch. Sighing, she pointed to a small, rather lumpy one which lacked a proper stem. At least it wouldn't be too much work.

"What do I do now?" Ellen asked, rolling the pumpkin onto her lap.

"Watch me," Effie instructed, grabbing a knife and cutting into the pumpkin. She sawed away until the top was removable.

"We can use our wands for this bit!" Janice announced, waving hers and the guts of the pumpkin vanished.

Effie scowled. "It's better to do it the muggle way."

"If by better you mean 'more boring'," Janice rolled her eyes before turning back to Ellen. "You can gut your pumpkin however you want, though."

Ellen looked between the two girls before she hesitantly grabbed the knife, making a deliberate cut into the top of the pumpkin.

It was a lot harder then Effie made it out to be, as it felt more like she was trying to cut through a tree with safety-scissors.

Ellen was so preoccupied she didn't notice Janice had crawled behind her until she felt her hands wrap around her wrist, or the warmth of her breath on her neck.

"Here," She said. "Let me help, yeah?"

Nodding dumbly, Ellen didn't even have the mind to fight off the Hufflepuff, her heart banging in her chest.

"There!" Janice exclaimed, pulling away almost too soon. "Now all we have to do is gut it, and put a scary face on it."

"Or a happy one," Effie pointed out, turning her own Pumpkin around, which looked quite like it'd had a few too many cheering-charms. "Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean everything has to be made of nightmares."

Janice pouted. "Yeah, well I figured Ellie would prefer it. She's a bit darker than you."

"What?" Ellen asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you're more intense," Janice replied. "It's not a bad thing."

Ellen frowned, crossing her arms in a haughty way. "Well you don't exactly make it sound like a good thing, either."

Janice smiled. "Ellie, I like you; there's no need for you to get all insecure."

Ellen felt her face heat, "Don't call me that!"

"You didn't say that the first time."

"I didn't notice the first time!"

"Well," Effie cut in. "We still need to get these done before History of Magic."

"Right," Janice said, turning back towards Ellen. "So, vanishing or the muggle way?"

Ellen sat besides Janice, dressed up as a cat, watching the fire flicker in the mouths of their original Jack o' lanterns.

It wasn't exactly the soul-burning moment her mother had made it out to be, Ellen reflected, but she supposed if anything her mother had thought were true, she was already damned the moment she accepted her nature as a witch.

Looking up at Janice, Ellen supposed she might just have been okay with that either way.

**A/N****House: Ravenclaw****Class: Care for Magical Creatures****Category: Drabble****Prompt: Carving Pumpkins****Word count:**


	7. Getting Warmer

Something strange happened every time there was a full moon on Halloween.

Janice didn't know what it was, but no matter what chaos seemed to ensue in her life anytime the moon phase lined up with the date, ensuring she vehemently detested the occasion.

The first time it happened, she was too young to remember. However, she knew from her older brother, Jackson, that it had been horrible. Her magic had gone wild, and turned her muggle grandma into a turkey and no one had been able to undo it. Flash forward to a trip to St. Mungo's, it soon was discovered that even transfigured she wasn't able to enter the building. So, her father had had to walk in, fill out the forms, and wait until a Healer had been available to come fix the problem, which resulted in the family missing out on trick or treating entirely.

It explained why Grandma Reide wasn't particularly fond of Janice, anyways.

The next time this happened, the first year Janice remembered, they were with her mother's family. The Clearwater's were a strict bunch, which meant this Halloween should have been no fun at all, right?

Well, times that expectation by ten, because everything that could have went wrong did, in fact, go wrong.

First of all, her Aunt Penelope had forgotten about her brothers peanut allergy and baked a whole cake based around the nut. Strange, but an avoidable mishap, right?

Wrong. Because her mother had jumped down her throat about it, which resulted in a surge of accidental magic, which caused the cake (which was made out of her brother's personal poison) to fucking explode.

He had been fine, but he still has some scars from where his skin had given way for the swelling. Aunt Penelope still looks guilty anytime she sees them.

The next few times were just as catastrophic, whether it be a fluke werewolf attack (her Uncle Brad would never be the same) or a freak snowstorm snowing them in a muggle furniture store (don't even ask) it was no wonder why Janice felt a surge of anxiety when she saw the date. Or the rising dread when nothing seemed to have happened all day.

Was the curse lifted? She wondered, all the way until she closed her eyes to drift off into sleep. Oh how she wished she'd have just been able to go to sleep!

Sprout had come and woken her up at a little before twelve. Really, it would have been November had she waited just three more minutes! Three minutes! Then everything would have been fine. But no, the curse has to continue she supposed.

Of all the things she expected when her Head of House woke her in the middle of the night it wasn't to be asked what her best friends blood type was. Truly, Janice felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest when her eyes landed on the petite blond girl, lips still tainted blue from her involuntary dip in the Black Lake.

It'd happened when everyone was asleep, Sprout said; some older Slytherin girls had snuck in Ellen's dorm while everyone was asleep (some Purist idiots, Janice bets) and decided to play a 'prank' on her; to get Ellen back for all the jokes she liked to pull on everyone during and after class.

It boiled Janice's blood to her very bones. The worst thing Ellen had ever done was put some gross Bertie Botts in everyone's drinks! That didn't deserve to be killed over, and by members of her own House as well!

Janice ran her fingers through her friend's hair, still ice cold despite Pompfry's best attempts. Yep, blood purists. Janice held no doubts, and she prayed she never found out who they were lest she earn herself a life sentence in Azkaban for her troubles.

Ellen face slowly regained color the blood replenishing potions working their magic. Then, at around five in the morning she slowly opened her brown eyes, which looked a lot lighter than they normally did.

"What..." She looked around the room, then spotted Janice. Weakly, she reached over and grabbed her hand. "What happened?"

"Shh... It's alright." Janice whispered, gently placing her hand back onto her chest. "You're safe."

Ellen didn't look anymore relieved, "That.. Tha.."

"Some arseholes happened," Janice reluctantly answered. "Nothing more, nothing less. You're just a bit cold, aren't you?"

Nodding, Ellen weakly pulled Jamice closer, and the redhead didn't hesitate in crawling into the bed beside her. Even if it were uncomfortably hot.

Ellen laid her head against her, and Janice wrapped an arm around her shoulder, allowing her friend to nestle her cold face in the knook of her throat.

Ellen said nothing for awhile, before murmuring something incoherent under her breath.

"Shh.. It's alright." Janice soothed, "Tomorrow, when you're better, we'll dust your whole dorm for fingerprints. Chances are, they wouldn't have thought to wipe anything off."

Ellen simply nodded, simply listening to the Hufflepuff's pulse thump through her neck. The heat feeling heavenly on her ice cold skin.

Janice didn't mind the silence, but was relieved when she heard her friend whisper. "I.. I like you too."

Smiling, Janice ran her fingers through Ellen's silky hair. "I think that kinda goes without saying, Ellie."

Ellen simply gave a sigh, not even bothering to dispute the abuse of her given name.

"Ells?"

Ellen leaned back, looking a bit hesitant about something before she shook her head, "I don't mean.. I really like you."

Janice brows forwarded. "Of course you do-- Ellie, are you feeling alright?"

"I feel fine!" Ellen snapped, before a flush spread over her pale cheeks. "I was just.."

Janice laughed, "I think the potions are making your brain a little fuzzy, no? You should probably get some--"

"No," Ellen stated, very firmly. "You're not listening to me."

Looking Janice in the eye, Ellen leaned in, pressing her cold lips against Janice's.

Janice mind blanked for a moment, feeling oddly hot despite the human iceberg attached to her face. The heat fluttering flom her head all the way to her chest, tickling her heart.

Yes, strange things always happened to Janice on the thirty-first of October whenever the moon was full, but this was definitely one of the strangest, if only because she wasn't displeased by it in the least.

**A/N****House: Ravenclaw****Class: Care for Magical Creatures****Category: Standard****Prompt: First line, "Something strange happened every time there was a full moon on Halloween."****Word count: 1,060**


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